maurice glawrmarr glub turning to libya the civil war could be approaching a turning point. rebels are threatening the damascus airplane of airport the assad regime's lifeline to its few remaining allies. >> reporter: the outskirts of damascus have become a battleground with some of the fiercest fighting the city has seen yet. syrian rebels say they're closing in on the capital street by street. now, within their sights is their biggest target. the damascus international airport, about 12 miles southeast of the city. heavy dom bardment is reported today in the suburbs in the surrounding area. rebel leaders called the airport a legitimate target and gave a stark warning to the regime and outside travelers to avoid it at all costs. fighting near the airport forced the suspension of commercial flights this week. some airlines have already stopped all together. a rebel takeover of the airport would also cut off weapon supplies and allies like iran says andrew tabler of the washington institute near east policy. >> as the country's longest runways, from that location that jets fr